James Martin (2) (1933–2013)

Martin points out many interesting trends, and future scenarios. However, he is also overly optimistic (to say Pollyanna-ish would almost be an under-exaggeration). He nearly waxes poetic over how 'transhumans' will be created with physical and, more importantly, neural, nanobots -- while ignoring (until a blip at the very end) the serious, and all too real, 'nanobot-divide' that will ensue. The upshot seems to be that while the haves and the have-nots are currently severely divided (thousands of miles apart ,so to speak), in the future it seems clear that they will be thousands of light-years apart. This is not a good thing. The only force mitigating this result is the positive good-will of the haves to help and share, which Martin seems sincerely convinced of. As I say, Pollyanna-ish is too kind.
That said, I did really enjoy the parts of the book that didn't gall me.… (más)

A pretty good combination of a doom warning (enumerating unsustainable world practices and trends, etc) à la Martin Rees's _Our Final Century_ and a golden-future paean à la Ray Kurzweil's _The Singularity is Near_. He conjectures that developments in such areas as transhumanism, near mid-century, could make the difference between the pessimistic and the optimistic scenarios. Somewhat marred by a much-too-benign view of religion and the nutty naming of Estonia as one of the world's poorest countries. (I think he must have meant to say Eritrea or Ethiopia.)… (más)